The 12 Days Before Christmas – Years 1 and 2
Idea for the poster and tasks by Mia Šavrljuga
THE 12 DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
activities accompanying the Christmas poster
for years 1 and 2
DAY 1: Match the pictures to the words.
Students play a memory game by matching pictures and words. Picture cards can be found in
flashcards for years 1-2, except for the picture of “a present” that can be found in flashcards for year
3, and the picture of “a snowman” that can be found in the print material accompanying this
teacher’s sheet.
If you wish, you may add other words/pictures.
Flashcards (pictures): Where to find them: CHRISTMAS STOCKING Flashcards for years 1-2 CHRISTMAS TREE Flashcards for years 1-2 SANTA CLAUS Flashcards for years 1-2 PRESENT Flashcards for year 3 SNOWMAN In the printouts file REINDEER Flashcards for years 1-2 STAR Flashcards for years 1-2
DAY 2: Mime 5 Christmas words.
The teacher shows a flashcard with a picture to one student so that other students cannot see it.
The student then mimes the word and other students try to guess what it is. Whoever guesses first
goes next.
The cards are the same as in the DAY 1 activity.
If you wish, you may add other pictures to this activity.
DAY 3: Draw pictures of 5 Christmas words.
The teacher shows students flashcards with the following Christmas words. Students draw pictures.
If you wish, you may add other words to this activity.
The 12 Days Before Christmas – Years 1 and 2
Idea for the poster and tasks by Mia Šavrljuga
Flashcards (words): Where to find them: CHRISTMAS STOCKING Flashcards for years 1-2 CHRISTMAS TREE Flashcards for years 1-2 SANTA CLAUS Flashcards for years 1-2 PRESENT Flashcards for year 3 SNOWMAN In the printouts file REINDEER Flashcards for years 1-2 SNOW In the printouts file STAR Flashcards for years 1-2
DAY 4: It's Christmas dictation time!
Year 1 students have drawing dictation: the teacher shows them the word and reads it out loud,
they repeat it and then draw it.
Year 2 students write down the words: the teacher shows them the picture and dictates the word
and they write it down.
The cards are the same as in the DAY 3 activity, except for one more that you can add to your year 2
cards: MERRY CHRSITMAS.
DAY 5: Translate the words/sentences into English.
Divide students into groups of 2 or 3. Each group gets one card with a word/sentence on it. They
translate it into English and then pass it to the next group, while at the same time receiving a new
card from yet another group.
Cards can be found in the printouts file.
ANSWER KEY
božićna čarapa Christmas stocking božićna jelka Christmas tree Djed Božićnjak Santa Claus dar present snjegović snowman sob reindeer snijeg snow zvijezda star Sretan Božić! Merry Christmas!
The 12 Days Before Christmas – Years 1 and 2
Idea for the poster and tasks by Mia Šavrljuga
DAY 6: Put the story in the correct order.
Students should put the following song in the correct order. Then they read it.
The cards (5x A4) can be found in the printouts file. If you wish, you may choose another poem or a
story for this activity.
ANSWER KEY
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer Had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him, You would even say it glows.
All of the other reindeer Used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph Join in any reindeer games.
Then one foggy Christmas Eve Santa came to say:
"Rudolph with your nose so bright, Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then all the reindeer loved him, And they shouted out with glee,
“Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, You'll go down in history!”
DAY 7: Guess the Christmas dish.
Students have to put together two puzzles showing popular Christmas dishes – a roast turkey and a
Christmas pudding – and then read the name of the dish.
You can divide the class into groups and give each group one picture (several groups will have the
same picture) or they can all play together, putting together the puzzle pieces on the blackboard.
The puzzle pieces can be found in the printouts file. It is in A4 format, but you can also print it out in
A3 format. If you wish, you may choose other dishes for this activity.
The 12 Days Before Christmas – Years 1 and 2
Idea for the poster and tasks by Mia Šavrljuga
Year 8: Write a menu for Christmas dinner.
Print cards with the pictures and names of Christmas food. Also, print the menu template for each
student. They need to choose two different types of food/dishes and then draw and write their
Christmas dinner menu.
The menu and the cards (3x A4) can be found in the printouts file. You should cut each card in two,
as there are two dishes on each one.
Cards with food:
turkey (purica) Christmas pudding (božićni kolač sa sušenim voćem) candy cane (šećerni štapić) mashed potatoes (pire krumpir) vegetables (povrće) mince pies (suhi kolačići s voćnim nadjevom) gingerbread (paprenjak)
DAY 9: Make a Christmas cracker.
Make a Christmas cracker with your students. You will find the instructions in the printouts file.
Day 10: Write a letter to Santa Claus.
Students write a letter to Santa Claus. They colour the Santa picture and draw a present on the card.
The card template can be found in the printouts file. You should print it two-sided and then fold it in
half.
DAY 11: Make a Christmas card.
Students draw and write a Christmas card. You can use a template or they can make their own. The
template of the inside of the card can be found in the printouts file. Print one for each student and
fold it in half. Ask students to keep their Christmas cards in safe keeping since they will need them
for Day 12.
The 12 Days Before Christmas – Years 1 and 2
Idea for the poster and tasks by Mia Šavrljuga
DAY 12: Sing a Christmas carol and play Secret Santa!
In the printouts file you can find big (for display on the board, you can also print it in A3 format)
and small (for distributing to the students) versions of the following songs. You can use other
Christmas songs, too.
It is now time to play Secret Santa with the Christmas cards that students prepared in Day 11. Ask
them to write their names on individual pieces of paper, put all the names in a bag and ask students
to each draw out a name from the bag, without saying whose name they got. The person they draw
out is the one who they will have to gift the Christmas card to.
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year!
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
You better watch out!
You better not cry!
You better not pout!
I’m telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Jingle Bells
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh!
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh!
Ru
do
lph
, th
e re
d-n
ose
d r
ein
dee
r H
ad a
ver
y s
hin
y n
ose
. A
nd
if y
ou
ev
er s
aw h
im,
Yo
u w
ou
ld e
ven
say
it g
low
s.
All
of
the
oth
er r
ein
dee
r U
sed
to
lau
gh a
nd
cal
l him
nam
es.
Th
ey n
ever
let
po
or
Ru
do
lph
Join
in a
ny
rei
nd
eer
gam
es.
Th
en o
ne
fogg
y C
hri
stm
as E
ve
San
ta c
ame
to s
ay:
"Ru
do
lph
wit
h y
ou
r n
ose
so
bri
ght,
W
on
't y
ou
gu
ide
my
sle
igh
ton
igh
t?"
Th
en a
ll t
he
rein
dee
r lo
ved
him
, A
nd
th
ey s
ho
ute
d o
ut
wit
h g
lee,
“R
ud
olp
h, t
he
red
-no
sed
rei
nd
eer,
Y
ou
'll g
o d
ow
n in
his
tory
!“
Dea
r __
____
____
____
____
____
,
Mer
ry C
hri
stm
as
and
a h
app
y N
ew Y
ear!
Lo
ve,
___
____
____
____
____
___
We
Wis
h Y
ou
a M
err
y C
hri
stm
as
We
wis
h y
ou
a m
erry
Ch
rist
mas
,
We
wis
h y
ou
a m
erry
Ch
rist
mas
,
We
wis
h y
ou
a m
erry
Ch
rist
mas
,
An
d a
Hap
py
New
Yea
r!
Sa
nta
Cla
us
Is C
om
ing
to
To
wn
Yo
u b
ette
r w
atch
ou
t!
Yo
u b
ette
r n
ot
cry
!
Yo
u b
ette
r n
ot
po
ut!
I’m
tel
lin
g y
ou
wh
y.
San
ta C
lau
s is
co
min
g to
to
wn
.
Jingle Bells
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh!
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh!
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year!
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
You better watch out!
You better not cry!
You better not pout!
I’m telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Jingle Bells
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh!
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh!